BOULDER — That sheepish grin spoke volumes. Colorado sophomore punter Darragh O’Neill was asked if he considered tackling among his skill set.

O’Neill became one of the few bright spots last weekend in the 69-14 loss at Fresno State by averaging 42.8 yards on 10 punts, including four that landed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.

He also helped force a fumble in the first quarter when Fresno State’s Isaiah Burse lost the ball on a 14-yard return from the Bulldogs’ 21-yard line. Colorado’s Christian Powell was officially credited with the forced fumble and tackle, and another CU freshman, cornerback Jeffrey Hall, recovered the fumble.

But O’Neill got in Burse’s way and was the first to slow the returner’s progress. The punter even reached for Burse’s arm and almost caused the fumble before Powell arrived.

O’Neill didn’t shy away from the contact. He didn’t hesitate or flinch before sticking his nose in the play.

“In my mind I think (tackling is) a strength of mine,” O’Neill said with a grin. “But I’ve never worked on it.

“And as (Burse) got closer, he looked a lot bigger. So, no, I don’t think that’s a strength of mine at all.

“Getting a turnover on special teams is a pretty big deal,” O’Neill added. “Seeing us get the ball was pretty exciting.”

My take: O’Neill, 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, was a standout in basketball and soccer at Fairview High School and this is an example why college coaches love athletic punters and place-kickers. On occasion, they may be called upon to make a regular football play.

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BOULDER — As Colorado’s Saturday afternoon season opener against Colorado State at Sports Authority Field at Mile High approaches, I’ll offer some top 5 lists, beginning with the top five CU true freshmen that will make an immediate impact.

Keep in mind, the media was kept out of practices, so these lists are developed after speaking to dozens of CU coaches and players during fall camp.

Colorado’s Top 5 true freshmen of influence:

1. Cornerback Kenneth Crawley — The 6-foot-1, 170-pounder from Washington D.C., didn’t come as highly regarded as Buffs teammate Yuri Wright, a national top-100 prospect. But Crawley, who was made some national top-300 lists, is the one who earned a starting job — at left corner. And it appears he will be CU’s top punt returner as well.

2. Safety Marques Mosley — A 6-1, 180-pounder from Upland, Calif., Mosley will return kickoffs for the Buffs and also is the top backup to senior Ray Polk at free safety. Coaches talk frequently about how Polk has mentored Mosley, and how quickly Mosley has caught on.

3. Defensive tackle Josh Tupou — At 6-3 and 325 pounds, the imposing Californian from Long Beach has the girth and natural strength that CU has been missing along the defensive interior. Will be in rotation for the two defensive tackle spots with senior Will Pericak (6-4, 285) and junior Nate Bonsu (6-1, 280). At 325, Tupou isn’t flabby, just big.

4. Wide receiver Gerald Thomas — Wednesday’s announcement that Paul Richardson (ACL surgery) will redshirt this season made it more imperative that Thomas (5-11, 175) make an immediate impact. CU has plenty of possession receivers, but Thomas, like Richardson, can be explosive in the open field. QB Jordan Webb raves about the skill set of Thomas, who played high school ball in the Dallas area but is originally from New Orleans.

5. Fullback Christian Powell — Like Tupou, Powell (6-foot, 235) arrived as a teenager that’s physically ready for major-college football. Powell, listed behind junior Alex Wood on the latest depth chart but sure to get snaps, will be counted upon to help open holes for tailback Tony Jones. But Powell can carry the ball and catch passes. It wouldn’t be a shock if CU shows Powell setting up along QB Jordan Webb in a one-back set on occasion.

BOULDER — Considering that Colorado ranked last in pass-efficiency defense among Pac-12 teams in 2011, it came as no surprise that signing defensive backs was a priority during recruiting.

In February, the Buffs landed five high school DBs. Four of the five may help immediately, with John Walker of Washington D.C., having to wait until 2013 because a finger injury early in August camp required surgery and he likely will redshirt this season.

From speaking with coaches (practices are closed to the public, including the media), it appears the two most highly regarded of the signees, Yuri Wright and Kenneth Crawley, are living up to their billing.

BOULDER — Colorado freshman John Walker, one of five defensive backs signed by the Buffaloes in February, will sit out the 2012 season as a redshirt, CU coach Jon Embree announced Saturday.

Walker, 5-feet-10 and 170 pounds, injured a finger during the first week of August camp and will require surgery.

Walker earned all-metro honors by the Washington Post as a senior for H.D. Woodson High School in Washington D.C. A teammate, cornerback Kenneth Crawley, also signed with Colorado and is vying for playing time, Embree said.

Crawley, Yuri Wright, Marques Mosley and Jeffrey Hall have all been impressive as rookies in the secondary, Embree said.

UNIVERSAL CITY, CALIF. — During interviews Tuesday at the Pac-12 football media day at Universal Studios, Colorado coach Jon Embree was asked which incoming freshmen figure to provide the most competition during August camp.

Embree’s response wasn’t a short answer. After all, Colorado lost 13 starters off last year’s team.

Embree began with defensive back, where the team has openings at free safety and a cornerback slot. Embree said CU signed “five very good players” for the secondary in February: cornerbacks Yuri Wright, Kenneth Crawley, John Walker, Jeffrey Hall and safety Marques Mosley.

Wright, from New Jersey powerhouse Don Bosco Prep, was regarded as a national top-100 player. Crawley, from CU’s new Washington D.C. pipeline of H.D. Woodson High School, made national top-250 lists.

“They all will have a chance to compete,” Embree said of the five DB signees.

Football recruiting analyst Adam Gorney, the West Coast-based evaluator for Rivals.com, has released his annual position-by-position rankings for the Pac-12’s recently signed classes.

Colorado fared well in many categories, especially at running back where the Buffs’ four-player haul was ranked by Gorney as best in the Pac-12.

Wrote Gorney: “After a 3-10 season in 2011, Colorado needs players that can make things happen all over the field, and the Buffaloes did a quality job of loading up at running back by signing four players. Three-star Davien Payne (5-11, 225, Perris, Calif., Citrus Hill) and Terrence Crowder (5-10, 210, Galen Park HS, Texas) are big, punishing backs, and Donta Abron (5-9, 190, Upland HS, Calif.) could be the sleeper in this class. Clay Norgard (6-1, 240, Highlands Ranch Mountain Vista) is expected to play fullback and he’s a tough, hard-nosed player.”

My take: Although Colorado signed just two 4-star players (cornerbacks Kenneth Crawley and Yuri Wright), recruiting analysts are impressed with the depth and talent of Jon Embree’s class, especially considering that the head coach and his staff had to sell the program while struggling through a 3-10 season. As for the conference, I like the fact that seven different schools led a position. That speaks well for the overall strength of the league — and its future.

Jeffrey Hall, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound cornerback at LaPlace (La.) St. Charles Catholic High School, made his commitment to Colorado official on Sunday, according to Rivals.com.

Rated a three-star prospect, Hall intercepted nine passes last fall in helping to lead St. Charles Catholic to the Louisiana Class 3A title in his first year as a cornerback. He told Rivals.com that he picked CU over Indiana and Arizona after receiving a home visit on Thursday from Buffs head coach Jon Embree.

Last week, Colorado landed oral commitments from four-star cornerbacks Kenneth Crawley of H.D. Woodson High School in Washington, D.C., and Yuri Wright, formerly of New Jersey power Don Bosco. Wright was expelled from Don Bosco for offensive posts on Twitter and must find another high school or avenue to complete his graduation requirements.

Hall told Rivals.com that he had second thoughts about Colorado because cornerback might be crowded with the commitments of Crawley and Wright but said he shown that cornerback is a position of need at CU and he may see early playing time.

“Colorado was on me the longest,” Hall told Rivals.com. “They are like family there. That’s what I was looking for in a college.”

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Jeffrey Hall, a 5-foot-11, 180-pounder from La Place (La.) St. Charles Catholic High School, told Rivals.com Tuesday night that he may be ready to offer a commitment on Friday.

Colorado appears to be in the driver’s seat.

“It’s down to Colorado and Indiana. But I will most likely commit to Colorado,” Hall told the CU-based Rivals site BuffStampede.com.

Rated a three-star prospect by Rivals, Hall visited Colorado on Jan. 13 and then made a trip to Indiana last weekend. According to Rivals, his offer list also includes Tulane, Kansas State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana-Monroe and North Texas.

Hall recorded nine interceptions, 55 tackles, four-and-a-half tackles for a loss and four forced fumbles as a senior — his first year at cornerback. St. Charles Catholic won the Louisiana Class 3A championship.

Earlier this week, Colorado received oral commitments from two four-star corners: Kenneth Crawley of H.D. Woodson High School in Washington D.C., and Yuri Wright, who was recently expelled from New Jersey prep power Don Bosco for posting offensive tweets. Wright must transfer to another high school to complete graduation requirements.

The defensive backfield, and cornerback in particular, is a critical area of need for Colorado.

That comes from Jeffrey Hall, a cornerback from St. Charles Catholic High School in La Place, La., who visited Colorado during the weekend and then spoke to BuffStampede.com, the Colorado-based Rivals.com site.

A 5-foot-11, 176-pounder, Hall is being recruited by CU offensive coordinator and running backs Eric Bieniemy, who was born in New Orleans before his family moved to Los Angeles when he was young.

Hall told BuffStampede.com that his trip to Boulder “was real good. It is beautiful out there.”

Hall also talked at length with CU defensive coordinator Greg Brown, who also coaches the secondary.

“They said a lot of the same things in person that they had been telling me on the phone,” Hall told the recruiting-based website. “Coach Brown said I would have a chance at early playing time and could possibly be a starter my first year. Coach Brown said he is not scared to play a true freshman.”

Hall said he may take an official visit to Indiana before choosing a school.

Tight end Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick, one of the four four-star recruits considering Colorado that I blogged about Monday, will make his official visit Friday, according to Buffscoop.com.

Out of Whitney High in Rocklin, Calif., Cope-Fitzpatrick is ranked as the No. 7 tight end in the nation by Rival.com. He committed to Southern California in June but has been in contact with Colorado, Oregon and UCLA. Second-year coach Jon Embree does not have a commitment from a four-star recruit yet.

Buffscoop.com listed three other players who will join Cope-Fitzpatrick on the visit. One is three-star cornerback Jeffrey Hall of St. Charles Catholic High in La Place, La. Colorado’s competition is Tulane, North Texas and Louisiana-Monroe but his stock is rising since intercepting nine passes his senior year.

Three-star safety Chris Solomon led West Covina (Calif.) High to the CIF title and is also considering Washington State, Oregon State, Washington and Boise State. The other is two-star running back Davien Payne of Citrus Hill High in Perris, Calif., who has already committed to the Buffaloes.

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.